


Fire and Revenge

by reigny_days



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst, BAMF Merlin (Merlin), BAMF Morgana (Merlin), Battle Scenes, But Only a Little Bit - Freeform, Dark Merlin (Merlin), Emotional Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Merthur isn't the abuse or non-con don't worry, Past Abuse, Past Rape/Non-con, Past Relationship(s)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-02
Updated: 2020-10-02
Packaged: 2021-03-07 18:28:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,322
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26782165
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/reigny_days/pseuds/reigny_days
Summary: A tyrant looking for land.A King protecting his people.A witch helping a friend.A stranger looking for revenge.6 years after his escape, a sorcerer comes face to face with the son of the man who sentenced him to the pyre.
Relationships: Merlin & Morgana (Merlin), Merlin/Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), Morgana & Arthur Pendragon (Merlin)
Comments: 6
Kudos: 75





	Fire and Revenge

**Author's Note:**

> I've had this battle scene kicking around in my mind for months but suck at writing stuff like that. Said fuck it. Any mistakes are my own please feel free to correct any problem you find.  
> I also have this headcanon that sometimes dark!Merlin slips into dragon-speak so I included that. All Dovahzul translations are listed in the notes at the end.
> 
> As always, kudos and comments are appreciated :D

“Morgana?!” Arthur’s sword clashed with his sisters unexpectedly. The battle raged around them, The Sarrum's men outnumbering Camelot nearly 2 to 1. The sudden appearance of the witch did not bode well for victory. Arthur made his peace with the loss, knowing this would be the day he died. He already felt as though he had failed his queen. Mithian would do well to rule Camelot in his absence if she negotiated with The Sarrum. But the fact remained: Camelot’s age was over.

“Hello dear brother,” The King was ready to be struck down, expecting it even. Morgana struck fast and true, slicing the man’s head clean off. But not Arthur, no. Arthur was covered in the man’s blood, the one who was ready to take his life. The one who his sister had just saved him from.

Arthur’s face was one of pure shock as the witch turned her back on him to fire a spell at an incoming enemy and moved around him to cover his back.

“Are you just going to stand there like a gobshite or are you going to fight?” Morgana asked him, offering no explanation for her sudden appearance and assistance. They fought back to back, as they did as children. After all these years, after all the hate and revenge plots, the siblings still fought together as if they had never fought against each other. It was like a dance, how Morgana fought. There were none of the sharp edges of a soldier or strict honor of a knight. It wasn’t the training their father provided. Someone else had trained her to do this.

There was finally a moment’s break for Arthur to ask, “What the hell are you doing here? Why are you helping me?” Morgana set a soldier on fire and rounded on her brother.

“Shared interest, brother. I’m not here for you.” Before Arthur had a chance to figure out what she meant, an arrow was fired past him. Morgana grabbed his arm and yanked him from where the arrow struck a man between the eyes, casting a shield around them before there was an explosion from the area. 

The King followed the trajectory of the arrow to the top of the stone structure (it wasn’t quite a tower as it was a small outpost.) Standing tall was a figure in black. They wore what looked to be armor similar to that of the Dark Brotherhood, but with none of the red accents. The hood and mask were still present, making it difficult to make out any features, not that he’d be able to at this distance. What Arthur could see was an ornate bow, glowing arrow nocked. 

It seemed that The Sarrum's archers had already seen the person and were firing at them as well. He saw an arrow fly true; it was going to hit the figure. And then, nothing. The person was gone. Vanished. But not quite.

“What was that?” Arthur asked, trying to hide how petrified he was. He already knew the answer. He had heard a roar like that only once before. The King wasn’t overly fond of what followed.

“Cover me,” Morgana said, her eyes beginning to glow.  
“What? Why?” Arthur nearly got his arm taken off by a soldier while he was distracted.  
“Just do it,” the witch snapped, “ _Spaan dii grah-zeymahzinne. Spaan nust wo kriist naal Zu’u_.” Morgana chanted in a strange foreign language. Another roar, much closer. “ _Nust ko sahqo bo vonun naal faal yolos _.” Arthur felt a deep dread. Even if the dragon was there to help, fire kills indiscriminately. He thought he’d never see another dragon again. The last one died by his own hand. Though, apparently not.__

__“She’s coming, brother. I’d take cover if I were you.” the witch remarked. Then,_ _

__Fire._ _

__

__The same figure from before appeared but with one significant difference: they rode atop a massive white dragon, raining fire down on The Sarrum's men. Arthur went untouched, as did anyone wearing Pendragon red. The smell of blood and burnt flesh was overwhelming as the king looked on in horror. Fire burned in lines from the dragon’s mouth. Within seconds, a third of The Sarrum's forces were dead. There was hope for Camelot._ _

__Depleted of the fire stored in her body, the dragon circled the sky a few times before swooping low and grabbing a soldier. She flew high in the air and dropped him, listening to his screams. The dragon dove and caught the man before he hit the ground. She ripped him apart with her claws, dropping him at Arthur’s feet. Never in his life had Arthur Pendragon seen such a display of brutality. There was nothing he could say to the figure as they dropped 10 meters from the flying dragon’s back, landing effortlessly in front of Morgana._ _

__“Where is he?” The figure-- man, apparently-- asked in a rage-filled voice. His eyes glowed brighter than any sorcerer Arthur had ever seen.  
“I don’t know yet,” Morgana said, a hint of fear in her voice.  
“That’s alright,” The Sorcerer breathed, drawing a set of large twin daggers. Arthur stumbled backward as the man disappeared and appeared right in front of him, dagger pointed under his chin, “Where’s The Sarrum?” His voice was quiet, yet somehow still managed to demand attention and respect. Arthur had encountered many, many dangerous people in his lifetime. None had been this calm and this terrifying. Still, Arthur was a King and a King does not take kindly to idle threats._ _

__“Why would I tell you, sorcerer?” Arthur barely finished his sentence before the man grabbed his hair and yanked his head back, aligning the dagger as if the sorcerer was about to slit his throat. In one swift motion, The King of Camelot was completely at this stranger’s mercy. This stranger with murder in his eyes._ _

__“We need him alive,” Morgana remarked, sounding bored.  
“For now,” Stranger removed the blade from Arthur’s throat and stepped back. The battle still raged around them. Every so often some unwise person would interrupt their conversation. They were always dead before they hit the ground, whether it be by magick or steel. The Stranger wasn’t the best fighter Arthur had seen but he was high on the list. It was clear that he had taught Morgana what she knew. His dance was all anger and aggression, fluidity and grace._ _

__“Who are you?” Arthur got a chance to say after the sorcerer snapped a man’s neck with his gloved hands. While Morgana’s eyes switched between her passive green and enchanting saffron, the Stranger’s eyes were a constant blinding gold. It was the only part of his body Arthur could see, the rest was clad in black.  
“Find me The Sarrum, Pendragon,” he paused to throw a dagger at an incoming enemy, “then we’ll talk.”_ _

__Arthur weighed his options best he could in the current situation. His mind ran quickly between _fight_ and _think_. On one hand, this man was a sorcerer. He fought with blood-lust and rage. If he found The Sarrum, there’s no telling what he’d do with him. But, if Arthur didn’t help the man, he’d never know who was behind the mask. The King’s curiosity overpowered his reasoning.  
“He’s somewhere up there,” Arthur pointed to the top of the hill overlooking the battlefield, “We haven’t been able to get to him. He has-”  
“A witch with him.” Stranger cut him off, “I know. Is that the only problem?” His voice was still as steady, low, and dangerous as ever._ _

__“You mean other than the hundreds of soldiers stood in front of us?” Arthur dared to snark. From Stranger’s expression, or at least what Arthur could determine from his eyes, his jest was not appreciated, “If we can take the sorcerer out then there should be no problem. The Sarrum is a goddamn-” Arthur broke off mid-sentence to execute another man, “hypocrite. He hates magick and uses it for his benefit. I’m going to kill that sorcerer myself.” Stranger cast a dome shield around them as the dragon set the battlefield ablaze again and rounded on the king._ _

__“No.,” he said darkly, “Ezra will go free. He doesn’t have a choice in this. You will not harm him.” Stranger pressed the tip of his dagger to Arthur’s chest for emphasis as the dome faded. The sorcerer turned, starting in the direction of the hill, Morgana not far behind. The Dragon had cleared a path for them. Arthur had little choice but to follow._ _

__The sorcerer and his sister must have been holding back before. Arthur watched as men were torn apart by a red mist. Fire burst from Morgana’s hands as they began to run toward the top of the hill. Necks snapped magically. Not a single man was brought down by steel on their trek. Magick truly was evil. Arthur could see it now with his own eyes. Morgana was never a killer before her sin consumed her. Now she slaughtered men without thinking. She was trained by a violent dangerous sorcerer to use her abilities to murder and maim._ _

__As they reached the slope of the hill, the Pendragons were flung backward. The Stranger stood fast, unmoving as his blue force-field disappeared. The witch threw spells at the man in vain, each one deflected or dodged. Arthur could see the plan. Stranger was letting the witch tire himself out. And it was working. In time, the witch slowed, fatigued. Stranger saw his window.  
“ _Vonuz_ ,” the boy disappeared, sent away to be free from his oppressor; they were free to proceed to their goal. The Sarrum and his best fighters weren’t far._ _

__

__Any man that was sent their way was struck down by the sorcerer’s blades. 10 men had fallen before The Sarrum ran. The coward didn’t get far before his path was blocked by the white dragon’s flames. The Sorcerer, Morgana, and Arthur finished off the rest of the fighters, leaving only the tyrant: alone and at the mercy of the two most powerful magicks to walk the earth._ _

__At the command of the king, The Sarrum sounded the retreat. Red knights began placing the man into shackles to bring back to Camelot. Arthur stepped forward only to be pulled back with force._ _

__“I told you he’s mine,” The Sorcerer near-growled, “Don’t get in my way.”  
“This man is our prisoner. He’s in Camelot’s custody now,” Arthur countered, “I can’t let you kill him.” The Stranger’s eyes glowed brighter with anger. He stepped toward the Sarrum, dagger in hand. Arthur blocked his path. “This isn’t how we do things, sorcerer.”_ _

__“We? This,” he waved his dagger between the two of them, “stopped being a ‘we’ when your father cuffed me in iron and threw me in the dungeon. I am not your ally. I am not your soldier. I’m doing it my way. _Zu’u fen bo zeim enook kendov, nonvul, ahrk jun wah krii rok. Ok laas oblaan nu. Ol fen hin fod hi los ko dii miiraad_.” Arthur couldn’t understand the last part but the threat was evident._ _

__“You don’t have to do this now,” Morgana approached the sorcerer, “He will be tried and found guilty of war crimes in Camelot. He will be hanged.” Her words were said with a gentleness Arthur didn’t think she was capable of. It did nothing to calm the seething Stranger.  
“He deserves to **suffer** for what he did,” The sorcerer raised his voice for the first time. He fixed Morgana with a look that made her back off. Arthur was not so easily deterred. He stayed planted between the sorcerer and The Sarrum, his sword drawn.  
“Oh-ho-ho,” The Sorcerer chuckled, “You really don’t want to do this.” The man drew his daggers and readied a battle stance._ _

__“I like to know the names of people I fight,” Arthur said, stalling a bit to prepare himself.  
“I’m sure you do.” The Stranger’s eyes dulled; he wasn’t going to use magic in the fight. Arthur counted his blessings and admired the surprising display of honor._ _

__The Sorcerer struck first, aiming for a quick kill. Arthur dodged and went on the defense. The Sorcerer’s speed was unmatched as he landed blow after blow, marring what skin he could. The sharpness of the dagger cut through the king’s armor like paper: enchanted. The fight raged on for minutes before The Sorcerer had knocked Arthur to the ground, holding him there until he yielded. As much as the sorcerer clearly wanted to kill the man, he would not leave Camelot without a King._ _

__Once again, the Sorcerer approached the Sarrum, throwing Camelot’s men far enough so they wouldn’t interfere. He walked so he was behind the tyrant to uncuff him and kicked the back of his knee joint, forcing him to the ground._ _

__“Who the hell are you?” The Sarrum spat at the sorcerer. He faced him head-on, crouching down to be level with his face.  
“Don’t you recognize me,” Stranger asked, his head tilted in faked confusion. “I guess you wouldn’t know my voice. You did command me never to speak, remember?” A spark of realization hit the prisoner.  
“Ah so my pet has returned,” The Sarrum smiled, “I always knew you’d come back to your master, Merlin."_ _

__Merlin kicked the Sarrum in the face. “That’s not my name!” He removed his hood and mask, revealing a face Arthur hadn’t seen in six years._ _

__His hair was longer, curly, and he had grown some stubble. Arthur was taken aback by the look in his eye when he paced once in front of the Sarrum. There was none of the kindness or softness Arthur remembered. His expression was hate and rage, no trace of the old Merlin left._ _

__“Not using your birth name, dear? Disrespect poor dead Hunith-” The Sarrum was shoved into the dirt. In an instant, Merlin was on top of him. One knee kept him pinned to the ground._ _

__“Keep my mother’s name out of your mouth,” the warlock shouted. He grabbed one of the Sarrum's arms and held it to the ground next to his head, palm down, “You’re going to know what it feels like. What you did to me. _Zu’u los bo wah wahl hi aus. Haalvut faaz hi neh lost_.” The Sarrum screamed in pain as his fingers were removed. His middle and little finger remained on the ground when the man was rolled onto his back.  
“You’re a filthy sorcerer! I’d do it again, you pathetic waste of air,” The Sarrum shouted through the pain, “Know this, Merlin-” he was cut off with a scream, grasping at the dagger planted in his abdomen._ _

__“My name is Emrys,” the warlock hissed close to his ear, “Do you know how long it takes to bleed out from an abdominal wound?” Emrys yanked his blade from the man’s body, “Do you know how much I could make it hurt?” The Sarrum screamed again as the dagger entered his chest, not deep enough to be fatal but definitely enough to hurt._ _

__In his bloodlust, Emrys released Arthur from his paralysis unknowingly. The king stood slowly and made eye contact with his sister. For the first time, Morgana seemed ready to follow his lead. He motioned for her to go around Emrys’s right side. Arthur walked carefully to one of his knights. All his knights were required to carry iron manacles in light of Morgana’s decreasing activity. The assumption was that she was planning something big and Arthur would take any chance to capture her._ _

__Irons in hand, Arthur stealthily walked around the left side. On his mark, Morgana used her magic to immobilize the warlock while her brother ran up and bound the man. Emrys was dragged off The Sarrum by Morgana.  
“Please take the Sarrum to Sir Leon. Tell him to lead the men home,” The King commanded his knights._ _

__Emrys struggled desperately to free himself from Morgana.  
“You know he deserves this, Morgana. He deserves worse. _Porra Sunvaar!_.” He yelled the insult in the Sarrum's direction, “ _Rok fen dir. Zu’u fen krii rok. Stin zu’u_.” The warlock rambled in the strange tongue. Though he couldn’t understand, Arthur could hear the pain, trauma, and rage in the words. He saw the pain etched on his face. He continued to spit words of abuse as The Sarrum was being dragged away._ _

__“Rapist Pig!”_ _

__“Merlin-”  
“That’s not my fucking name, Pendragon,” Emrys said the words like a threat, “Merlin died in Camelot’s cells six years ago.” _‘Pendragon’_ Arthur thought, _‘he won’t even call me by my name’_ Arthur stood in front of his old friend._ _

__“What happened to you, Merlin?” Emrys let out something akin to a roar and lifted his head towards the sky.  
“Ai-thu-sa,” The sky roared back. Three seconds passed before the White Dragon revealed herself. Battle-ready, she landed behind Morgana and Emrys, prepared to defend her family. It took all of Arthur’s willpower to look the dragon in the eye and unsheath Excalibur. The dragon let out a deep roar, like something you’d hear from a threatened dog. In a moment of complete trust, Arthur tossed his sword aside, “Let him go,” he told Morgana. _ _

__Emrys’s eyes still glowed, his magic flowing through his body, unable to escape. Morgana looked at the two of them as she climbed onto Aithusa’s back. She made eye contact with her brother once more before taking off._ _

__“What happened to me?” the warlock said in disbelief, “You say that as if you weren’t there. See, _Merlin_ loved you. He lived for you. He would have died for you. And he did.” Nothing Emrys was saying made any sense to Arthur. This _was_ Merlin so what did he mean ‘he’s dead’?  
“Merlin protected you from anything that dared to do you harm. He was nothing but loyal and devoted! And he was sentenced to death for it. Oh, no. My bad. I forgot: he was sentenced to death for _ensosis_ the Prince. Because what other explanation would there be for you falling in love with your servant? No, your father clearly hit the nail on the head. It was obvious that I had cast a spell on you,” Emrys said sarcastically._ _

__“You can’t blame me for what my father-”_ _

__“ _Dreh ni tinvaak_ I can do whatever I damn well please. You believed him. You were too afraid to admit your own feelings, so desperate to have an easy out that you let him drag me out of your chambers half-naked and throw me in the dungeon. He trapped my magic with those enchanted cuffs and left me down there for days. And you,” Emrys shook his head, “you did nothing. You let me **rot** down there for nearly a week. He thought I should suffer before I burned. Starve for a bit before I died. Where were you, Arthur?” Emrys was shouting at this point, angry tears running down his face, “Where were you?” he whispered._ _

__Arthur was stunned into silence. He stood there, tears falling silently. Merlin was right. Arthur had believed his father. He did nothing. Deep down he knew his father was wrong but Arthur never faced those thoughts._ _

__“I,” Arthur started, “I’m sorry. I should have help-”_ _

__“Why didn’t you?” Emrys cried_ _

__“I was scared.”_ _

__“You were selfish! Your father’s men hunted me. They killed my mother!” Emrys shoved Arthur backward, “I was burying her when The Sarrum's men found me. Do you know what he did to me? Two years, Arthur. Two years I was his slave. For two years he used me, beat me, raped me.” Emrys was fully crying now, tears falling uncontrollably._ _

__Arthur unlocked the chains and wrapped his arms around his old friend, “I’m so sorry. No one deserves that, Emrys. The Sarrum will be executed in the morning. Not just for his war crimes.”_ _

__Emrys pulled back and looked at the King._ _

__“Can I swing the sword?”_ _

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading!!
> 
> All Dovahzul Translations:  
> "Spaan dii grah-zeymahzinne. Spaan nust wo kriist naal Zu’u" (protect my allies. Shield those who stand by me.)  
> “Nust ko sahqo bo vonun naal faal yolos.” (Ones in red will go untouched by the flames)  
> "Vonuz" (Vanish)  
> "Zu’u fen bo zeim enook kendov, nonvul, ahrk jun wah krii rok. Ok laas oblaan nu. Ol fen hin fod hi los ko dii miiraad.” (I will go through every soldier, noble, or king to kill him. His life ends tonight. As will yours if you stand in my way.)  
> Zu’u los bo wah wahl hi aus. Haalvut faaz hi neh lost.” (I am going to make you suffer. Feel pain you never have.)  
> Porra Sunvaar!.” (fucking monster)  
> “Rok fen dir. Zu’u fen krii rok. Stin zu’u.” (He needs to die. I need to kill him. Let me go.)  
> Dreh ni tinvaak (don’t speak)  
> Ensosis (enchanted)


End file.
